Category: sleep

This year has not started off as I thought it would have. I’ve spent the vast majority of 2018 being ill. Not the typical flu bug, but getting ill from a medication that I had full trust in the doctor to give me. I’m still getting over this and I feel much better. It will however take some time to recuperate.

I am going to spend my time sitting and crocheting as I feel up to it. I need massive amounts of sleep, probable best for now to let my body heal. I had wanted to write more in this blog and have gotten side tracked…derailed as it were.

Be that as it may, while I am resting and sleeping, I can let my “imagination” run wild!

Like this:

I don’t know how many of you have an autoimmune disease, but the ones that do, know exactly what my title means. The amount of energy it takes to do anything at all is enormous, and it will take us days to recover.

Most of the time I find myself falling asleep if I sit down for any length of time. I don’t do it on purpose, my body just shuts down. I have learned to listen to my body, because when I don’t, I end up in the hospital.

My husband has been my rock. He is simply amazing. He does the laundry, washes the dishes, runs the sweeper and other numerous things. He knows that I simply can not do these things anymore. I do little things like dust, fold the towels and other small things. I don’t know how many times he has rescued me from myself. (Found me doing things that will disable me for days and stopped me.)

I have gotten a new rheumatologist that I saw a few weeks ago. My old rheumatologist and I didn’t see eye to eye on many things. One of which was pain. I have Gouty Arthritis (osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease) which is extremely painful and when I am in a flair, my joints swell up with Uric Acid Crystals which you can actually feel through my skin. My new rheumatologist is wonderful. We are working together on a pain management plan that I am more than willing to try. So far…so good.

I am not writing this to complain. I am writing to inform others how people with an autoimmune disease feel. It is an invisible disease. You can’t see anything wrong with us, but trust me, there is plenty wrong. So when you hear someone say that they have an autoimmune disease, don’t downplay it and whatever you do, don’t offer any advice unless you have an autoimmune disease too…cause you just don’t know.

Like this:

I have RLS (Restless leg Syndrome). I have had it for about 4 years and lately the medication has kind of quit working. Tonight was particularly bad. I am going to call my doctor on Monday, but until then, do any of you have any pointers as to what I might try? I would be ever so grateful to get a good nights sleep on occasion.

I have tried drinking dill pickle juice, tonic water with quinine, hot showers, icy hot, ice packs and tylenol to name just a few things, and nothing is even beginning to cut it this time. My calves are at the stage of cramping up and are very painful. I have even tried walking with my cane around the apartment. The only thing walking does is to aggravate my back. So I stop walking for a while.

I am not usually one to complain about my physical problems, and I am sorry for that, but I sincerely hope that someone out there can give me a suggestion or two.

Thank you all so much for putting up with my little rant. I really need some relief and some sleep.